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District of Columbia Among Sustainability Award Winners for Community Outreach
by Don Knapp
ICLEI USA Executive Director Martin Chavez with Harriet Tregoning, Director of the
Office of Planning, District of Columbia
Congratulations to ICLEI’s three Sustainability Leadership Award winners in the Community Outreach Innovation category. Community outreach is one of the biggest challenges for local government working toward climate and sustainability goals. But the following winners, honored at our Local Action Summit, are finding more effective and creative ways to engage constituents in decision-making and on-the-ground initiatives:
- Town of Portola Valley, CA
- Township of Hamilton, NJ
- District of Columbia
Read on for details on these local governments’ efforts (in the small, medium, and large community categories, respectively).
Town of Portola Valley, CA’s Outreach Success
The Town of Portola Valley is an excellent example of a small town that has prioritized sustainability in its community development goals, and incorporates strong community outreach in its efforts, despite limited budgets.
- The Town hosts a monthly green speaker series.
- Resources on the Town’s website detail how minor lifestyle changes can impact the town’s environmental footprint.
- The Town provides detailed resources tailored to various audiences such as children, schools, businesses, and residents on topics such as water conservation, climate change, green buildings, and waste reduction.
ICLEI USA Executive Director Martin Chavez with Richard Balgowan, Director,
Department of Public Works, Township of Hamilton, NJ
Township of Hamilton, NJ’s Climate Action Plan
Community engagement is critical to the success of any climate action plan, and the Township of Hamilton excelled at this task in the development and implementation of its plan, adopted in 2010.
Officials focused heavily on getting schools involved: The plan was developed along with the Board of Education and the PTA to integrate its strategies into school classes, and principals of all Township schools committed to take part. Participating schools received learning materials, students developed a “Clean and Green” page on the Board of Education’s website, as well as green flags that memorialize participation.
The goal of the Township’s plan is for all school-age children and residents to adopt the philosophy of conserving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by taking to heart the phrase, “thinking globally and acting locally.”
District of Columbia’s Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators Project
In fall 2009, the District of Columbia Office of Planning (OP), in partnership with the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), launched the Pilot of a new community planning process called the Neighborhood Sustainability Indicators Project (NSIP).
The NSIP process was launched as a way to involve diverse stakeholders through a participatory planning process to create neighborhood-level sustainability plans that result in community-driven implementation actions. At NSIP’s genesis is the concept that although it is important for local governments to have city-wide sustainability plans, it is easier for citizens and local institutions to find an interest and a personal connection to goals, targets and actions related to “backyard” neighborhood issues.
The program pilot included a study process and workshops, and a
technical advisory committee identified community priorities, goals, and
actions. The community also identified indicators to track success.
Three workgroups have already been created by community members to
launch initiatives related to energy, environment and green economy.
